Reverend Asora Amosa of Avondale launched a heartfelt plea in an Open Letter addressed to the Whau Ward to support the Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) in Tonga.

Reverend Amosa is calling on friends and neighbours to support the one-month online fundraiser on the Whau Pasifika’s Facebook page. Whau Pasifika is a committee formed to deliver the Whau Pacific Peoples Plan, an initiative of the Whau Local Board.

The fundraiser will help WCCC buy a new 12-seater van to extend their outreach programme, build community awareness and provide mobile counselling to all villages on Tongatapu.

WCCC is a non-government government organization working to end all forms of family violence and violence against women and girls in Tonga. They do both in-house counselling and community based psychosocial support. This includes Stay Safe, Yes I can activities to youth and children.

WCCC were an integral in the recovery response to this Century’s largest underwater volcanic eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai on January 15, 2022. Four people died in the tsunami that followed and more than 3000 homes damaged or destroyed along with agricultural crops, wharves and fisheries. Workers were travelling all over Tonga but struggled to find a reliable vehicle, borrowing second hand vehicles that often broke down.

In his Open Letter to the Whau Ward, Reverend Amosa notes “While we acknowledge the many agencies and efforts already happening out there we thought of doing something simpler, specific and direct. We do this simply by asking for donations from you, our Whau Ward, communities, families and neighbours for the Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) in Tonga.”

WCCC was established in 2009 by Director Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki who was born and raised in Avondale and moved to Tonga at 24.

Whau Pasifika agreed to support WCCC in honour of Chair Yvette Guttenbeil-Pouhila who is of Tongan descent. The Whau Pasifika Komiti was formed by the Whau Local Board’s to implement the Whau Pacific People’s Plan.

“Donations and giving is not a new concept to us. It is a communal aspect of living. It is in our human DNA. But the responsibility of activating the spirit of giving lies with each of us,” Reverend Amosa added.

Reverend Amosa joined the inaugural Whau Pasifika Komiti in 2019 to influence the way Pacific People’s “do life,” starting with his family and then his neighbours.

“I put my hand up for this Komiti with a clear mind and heart to encourage and infuse our team and our people with passion and intentional activities to make a difference; to growing businesses, entrepreneurship, house ownership and so on.”

Whau Pasifika’s online fundraiser runs from June 2 to July 2, 2022.

To donate, please go to Whau PasifikaFacebook page - Funds for Tonga.

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